Election roundup: Dorchester and East Boston power up

But make no mistake: This is a victory for this neighborhood, too. Much maligned, often dismissed, we did it largely to ourselves through the years. But Dorchester finally figured it out: Weâ€™re a force to be reckoned with and itâ€™s now beyond dispute.

WBUR examines the last East Boston effort to speak truth to power - in this case the successful David-vs-Goliath battle of a group of residents against the mayor and the well funded Suffolk Downs casino effort.

CommonWealth Magazine posits Walsh really won because he has better interpersonal relationship skills:

Walsh's personal touch goes a long way toward explaining how he locked up the endorsement of virtually every female politician and politician of color who endorsed in the race: He worked relationships with legislators and with his former mayoral rivals the same way that he has on Beacon Hill, where he's a member of Speaker Bob DeLeo's leadership circle, and a beloved member of the House progressive caucus, and one of House Democrats' go-to guys for smoothing over things with Republicans. Endorsements helped turn the race for Walsh. Signing up Barros and Felix Arroyo and Charlotte Golar Richie opened doors for Walsh in key neighborhoods where he struggled in September's preliminary election; those endorsements turned as much on personal loyalty to Walsh, and the perception of Connolly as a political lone wolf, as they did on policy matters.

Comments

I'm hoping for the best but when phrases like 'where he's a member of Speaker Bob DeLeo's leadership circle' are thrown around, that's not good news for anyone interested in open, effective governance.